New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-08-19
clvBLIyG ON OCEAN STEAMERS

Tho vounr man who threw himself over
board from the Wcstemland appears to have
hecn confirmed in dissipatcd habits, but all
the evidence goes to show that it was the loss
of his money by gambling which seemed to
make him desperate, drove HIM 70 drihNlhs
heavily and so soon brought him to moou
ripe for suicide This tragic incident, when
Is not less mournfu because there seems W
be little room for sympathy with the hero OF
IL brings home sharply to all classes OF the
community the serious questions involved IN
the liberation of gambling on ocean steam
ships
We saw all classes of the community,
because it is literally true that all are repre-
scnted in this annual fight of Americans 10
E,rope and back. The railroad president
GOES for few weeks gayety and rest; the
school-teachcr goes to spend her hard-earncd
and hard-saved pttanco; the lad goes Ior
lark with some OF his friends. 1t Is question
that interests thousands of fathers and moth
era for il is no uncommon thing for American
bows of comparatively tender age TO De
trusted TO make a vacation trip without an
adult guardian and even if they are accom-
panicd by some older person, they cannot be,
and should not be, continually under watch
full eve. What they see may corrupt them,
though they take no part. A large proportion
OF those who take the journey are young men,
making a tour after leaving college, u gong
TO a German university, or travelling on bust
ness Their habits OF life arc not yet formed,
and they are liable to be exposed in peculiar
way TO this temptation; for We do not recall
any other place of a public character where
gambling is carried on a, openly as 1t Is IN inc
smoking rooms OF ocean steamers HOOclS
cannot control the action Of guests within
their own rooms but no hotel would think oil
permitting gambling in It's public paGlois.
And vet ON the steamer, which Is Heating
hotel. with much better facilities Tor It's own
policing. however, than hotel on land. IL Is
carried on practically without conccalmcnt,
and il is only now and then, when some occur
renee ike this directs public attention TO the
abuse. that any serious attempt IS made 10
check il.
The Young are not alone to be considered.
though it is a habit to consider them most
It is not the young alone no yield to tcmpta-
ton. nor are lives always wrecked at the
beginning. The conditions of life on ship
board play into the hands OF the professional
gamblers who are on the watch for men who
have "a "pie" and arc going over to spend 1t.
All arc idle, time passes slowly, and diver
sons are welcomed that might be dlSlastciui
or at least unattIactiyc on shore. And 1t Is
this very situation, it must In fairness be said,
that renders it more difficult 10 suppress
gambling on shipboard than it would be under
land. Nothing
could be more innocent than a game OF cafdS
To- pass away the long, uncvcntlul hours, and
if the PLAYERS choose TO take extraordinary
pains 10 gamble, it may be dincult to detect
them. But watchfuncSs on the part OF the
officers could do much u diminish the custom,
if it did not stamp it out altogether. This Is
duty the companies owe TO their constantly
increasing constitucncy. The liberation OF
gambling is as clearly against public policy IN
such a place as anywhere else.
The men about town will prob
ably say that this IS making a
great fuss about a small matter; that
man is not necessarily ruined because he
loses few dollars at poker. True but many
a first step into a bad habit has been taken
gayly, and even friendly pokcr-playng Is not
always joke, as this very case illustrates.